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Lavelle Wins USAT Long Course Triathlon Title

LAKE SAN ANTONIO, Calif.(May 7, 2007) -- Becky Lavelle took the female title, respectively, at the USA Triathlon Elite Long Distance Triathlon National Championship on Saturday at the Wildflower Triathlon at Lake San Antonio in Monterey County, Calif.

Twenty-five elite women were on the start list for the 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run event.

Lavelle (Los Gatos, Calif.) was the overall female winner in 4:35:19, outdistancing Mirinda Cafrae of Australia by nearly three minutes. Coming in third was Australian Kate Major in 4:42:26. Alexis Waddel (Monterey, Calif.) was fourth overall and the second American, finishing in 4:42:52. Erin Ford (The Dalles, Ore.) was fifth overall and the third American in 4:46:47.

Lavelle was second out of the water, but used a bike split of 2:37:13 - nearly five minutes faster than Cafrae, Major, and Waddel - to build a huge cushion and was able to coast to the win with a conservative run of 1:30:49.

This event was the second of two qualifiying events for the 2007 ITU Long Course World Championship, on July 14 in L'orient, France. The first four athletes per gender qualified at Ralph's Half Ironman in Oceanside, Calif. in March, while the remaining two slots will be filled by athletes from this event.